Outbreak
by TripleN
Summary: Molly handles a case of what they thought was an outbreak but when Sherlock (because he's sick of having Molly in quarantine while working with the bodies) works on the case they find out that it was a serial killer all along.


"Sherlock, did you really have to pull me out of bed?"

"Molly, this is of utmost importance."

"You could have waited until six! It's four in the morning, for go-" Molly shook her head at the consultant detective before she finished clipping her baby hair back to her head "I've still got bed hair." She mumbled.

"You didn't even let me shower!"

"Molly stop complaining, you know that I know you weren't having a good sleep anyway."

Molly rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the detective's head; she shook her head one more time before she collected the samples Sherlock needed her to test.

"What case are these from again?"

"If it weren't for John's insistence that our most 'scandalous-love-triangle' case was over I would have gotten it sooner, it was only when I was deleting things from my mind palace did I realize something was wrong."

"I thought you caught the person that poisoned them? Haven't they confessed?"

"Yes, but all for the wrong reasons, Molly Hooper."

* * *

Oh she was tempted to slap him.

Molly gave Sherlock an incredulous look after he had shoved her head off of the table she was resting on while waiting for the lab results.

"No time for sleeping Doctor Hooper." He turned to her when he ended his sentence, like the theatrical drama queen that he was he posed and pointed at the results with both index fingers.

"I don't get paid for this." She mumbled and walked over to him.

While Molly read the results and made reports of her own Sherlock watched her with an amused look on his face, one he was not aware he made almost _every_ time he visited the hospital, or more accurately the woman in front of him, whose eyebrows were currently drawing closer together.

"What's wrong?" he asked, the solid deep voice broke her thoughts.

"I need to look at the body."

"I thought you couldn't?" Sherlock had planned on saying this sentence smugly if only he didn't deduce the rapidly growing panic in her eyes "Molly, what's wrong?"

She handed him the papers and looked around her before grabbing her keys and running. Sherlock was left to be puzzled and read the results.

"Those men and women didn't die because of natural causes." Her voice shook as she ran, the words echoed in the empty halls and around Sherlock's head as he tried to understand the medical terms on the results.

When they finally reached the morgue doors Sherlock was surprised at how her running didn't slow down, she barged through the doors and immediately went to open the body drawers, she was mumbling and he felt irritated "Molly! What's going on?"

"Oh, my god!"

"What is it?"

With a haunted look in her eyes the pathologist struck the consulting detective's heart "Sherlock, leave this room and call Mike Stamford, _now._ " They both held their gazes "Tell me why-"

"SHERLOCK HOLMES, IF YOU DON'T MOVE _RIGHT NOW_ I WILL TELL JOHN WATSON ALL THE EXPERIMENTS YOU'VE BEEN HOLIDNG ON HIS _CHILD_. NOW _GO._ " Honestly feeling like she was overreacting Sherlock knotted his brows and stepped through the morgue doors with a scoff and just as he'd had Mike Stamford on the line he realized.

Turning around he tried his hardest to push at the doors only to find them locked _and_ blocked.

"MOLLY!" he hit the doors with his fist as he tried to find her inside "OPEN THESE DOORS _NOW!_ "

"Have you called Stamford?"

Ignoring her question he called for her again "Molly Hooper, I _will_ break these doors down."

"Have you figured it out?"

"No, but I don't like being kept away from apparently a much bigger case than I had thought."

"Bloody-Sherlock just call Stamford, tell him there's a possible fast acting deadly virus in our morgue right now."

His angry expression changed "Outbreak?"

"Sherlock, _now._ "

The panic surged through him as he'd realized.

Molly Hooper had locked herself in a room full of dead people who had been victims to a possible fast acting deadly virus.

"Mark?" he called through the phone as he'd spotted her through the narrow windows of the doors, _finally_ , she was staring back at him as he said "Did you hear that?"

"Sherlock, get away from the morgue, I'm coming."

How could these two people so easily picture him just _leaving_ her there in a room full of infected people all alone, possibly already affected?

"Molly, come out."

"No, Sherlock."

"Then let me in, right now."

"You won't be able to help, Sherlock." She sighed as she turned around; she was already wearing her proper autopsy clothes "I'm sorry to say I need to figure this out on my own."

Soon enough the hospital was crawling with people in bio suits, he'd asked for one and-thanks to his connections (Greg)-he was given one.

There was a part of his mind that was gravely irked at how they hadn't thought it was necessary for Molly to wear her own bio suit, he'd argued about her being affected and they'd nullified his argument. These people were different; they were from a different class that he wasn't used to.

When they had arrived he immediately asked them to quarantine Molly Hooper and get her as far away from the infected bodies as possible but when she herself had insisted that she wanted to help after they'd checked her vitals and they agreed, he didn't know if they were idiots or if _he_ was being impractical.

"Frankly Mr. Holmes I don't even know why you're here, you're not a part of the police force, you're not a staff member of Bart's, or is it because you only wanted to make sure Doctor Hooper was" he looked between the two of them "well?" Sherlock scoffed ignoring the look the doctor gave him.

"What have you discovered in the three hours that you've been crowding this place?"

This time the doctor couldn't meet his eye "Nothing, only that all of the victims are clean."

"What do you mean they're clean, what did Molly detect." The cold gaze was switched to the pathologist currently stitching a body back up together.

"I didn't detect anything, Sherlock." She looked up at him as she snipped the thread "I realized that they all had the same symptoms, even your victim, they were all cleverly hidden it just so happened that your victim was poisoned, and the poison counteracted with my theory, they all appeared to die of natural causes, even when they were murdered."

"You connected the dots."

"Yes. None of them came here together, but the body count was steady, it wasn't right, it was weird, it was like from the very beginning" she pointed to a black man with greying hair "Mr. Frederick over there? Heart attack, which is _not_ suspicious for a man of his health, and age. But when I saw the same symptoms on the rest of the people that came after him I'd just thought I was tired but then you came and then I realized, this is too perfect to be a coincidence."

Molly snapped off her gloves, and while she wasn't looking, he paid her all his attention "Is there really nothing I can do here, Miss Hooper?"

 _Miss._

"It's _Doctor_ Hooper, and no, Sherlock." She sighed "What we need to figure out right now is where this all started."

"So there is something to be figured out that isn't medical." She sighed and he could see the stress in her eyes, her eye bags were getting darker and she was paler, her once cheerful red chubby cheeks now hallowing, _god_ he didn't like that.

The foreign doctor tried to usher him away and he didn't protest to his surprise, but it wasn't because he was complying, it was for an entirely different reason.

"John."

"Sherlock I heard what happened how's Molly?"

"I'm about to go solve a case, I need as little distraction as possible, I have a favour to ask from you."

John was already getting himself ready, Mary had nodded and understood the moment they found out about it through Mike. They weren't surprised by Sherlock's favour.

"Of course, I'll stay with Molly."

The expert doctors and scientists had found Doctor John Watson to not only be incredibly brave but also credible, so when _he_ offered assistance for a Doctor Hooper, how could they say no?

"At least you're not as annoying as your friend." The foreign doctor laughed.

Molly shook her head and watched John with a cringe on her face "Don't punch him John."

He was tempted to do so but with Molly's reaction, as if she knew exactly what was on his mind, he just had to laugh "No worries, Molly. I promised Sherlock I would stay here with you."

She had to whip her head up "W…" she searched John's eyes, trying to understand.

"Why would I promise Sherlock?" John finished for her; she nodded, clueless, confused, and scared.

"Because he asked me to."

"Oh." The smallest of smiles lit up Molly Hooper's face. John thought it was because of the 'astronaut' suits they were wearing, but no.

Molly Hooper did give a smile, he was about to compliment her when, abruptly the doors to the morgue were shoved open and there was an explosion of noise from the foreign doctors.

The army doctor knew it was the detective and he would have looked up and nagged him but he was too shocked, looking at the pathologist beside him.

The pathologist that had been handling a bone saw and was so shocked that her hand jerked, small spatters of blood and human tissue landed on their clothes and one in particular was big enough to notice went straight into her mouth.

Hurriedly John turned the bone saw off and nudged her to the side, urging her to wash her mouth. His breathing was heavy as he turned to the people and the detective, making sure no one saw her.

"No need to worry everyone!" the bio suit-less detective exclaimed.

"I've solved it." And to prove his resolve Sherlock Holmes grabbed an innocent doctor beside him and ripped their bio suit off.

"Are you _crazy_ we have no idea if it's air-" the yelling doctors who were ready to tackle Sherlock were apprehended by men in suits quickly entering the room.

The men confirmed that the virus was _not_ transferable by air, only by direct contact, especially with bodily fluids. The little relief this gave John as he watched Molly discreetly wash her hands was ripped away immediately. She turned for a moment towards him and when she read it in her eyes that he was going to tell Sherlock she quickly dried her hands, made sure to put new gloves on immediately and shuffled towards John.

"We have to tell him."

"We can't."

"Well we have to tell _someone_." John insisted as he grabbed a fresh tissue and wiped her freshly washed dripping chin.

"John, listen to me." Molly grabbed John by his shoulders to prevent him from looking around and attracting Sherlock's attention-who was currently proving his words by lab results and evidence he'd collected from the _outside_ "If he finds out, he'll lose focus."

"What happened?"

The two most valued doctors in Sherlock Holmes' life made sure not to jerk as they looked away from one another's eyes "I was just reassuring John." Molly quickly covered a sympathetic look on her face "I told him, whom better than the great Consulting Detective Sherlock Holmes to save us all from an epidemic." She made a face "He's worried about Mary and the baby."

John watched her carefully as she lied. And he had to laugh while agreeing with her; he had to hide how awed he was of Molly's _lying_ skills.

Quick thinker.

"Well, John. There you have it." The _great_ Consultant Detective turned around once again, coatless he still looked as dramatic as ever "I'll be back in an hour, I'm sure by then I would have more knowledge as to whom this _genius_ serial killer is."

"Wait." John asked "Serial killer?"

Sherlock turned, as he continued to walk backwards towards the doors "Oh, yes John. He's a _genius._ What better way to hide the killings of important people _so_ well hidden from the rest of the world than an _epidemic_ , which hides behind natural causes."

An artificial virus made specifically for these men and women. Notice how none of them are under the age of thirty? They're the _V.I.P._ of the business industry." Finally, he turned towards the doors "And he's only getting started."

"He's _such_ a drama queen." Molly murmured from behind the doctor.

"I couldn't agree more."

"Sherlock?"

"John? What are you doing calling me from a different number?"

"Sherlock listen, is there an antidote, a _cure_ for this _disease?_ "

"John, remember what Molly said-"

"I _know_ what Molly said I was _THERE!_ "

"Then what are you doing disturbing me ?"

"Answer my question first."

"It's an illogical question. Our serial killer is targeting _specific_ people. He's not out there spreading this virus to whomever he may pass. He's infecting only those he has a plan to kill. There's no need for a cure, you don't need to worry about the baby and Mary-"

"I'm not worried about Mary _or_ the baby, Sherlock I'm worried about-"

*beep* *beep*

Sherlock looked at his phone, shook his head and continued on to his mind palace. He'd figured out exactly how to find this _ingenious_ person.

"I thought we agreed-"

"No Molly, we did _not_ agree."

"Just, UGH! Just give him a little bit more time to figure this out."

"Molly may I remind you that _you_ were the one who confirmed that within _eight_ hours of contact with the virus almost _all_ of the victims were dead?"

Her jaw was raised up the way she did when she was being too prideful even when she knew she was wrong, and then she looked down and shook her head.

" _Molly._ " John took her hands "You're eyes are sunken, your cheeks are hollow I know for a _fact_ Sherlock's been stressing you out for _days_ and your health is dropping you can't handle _this_!"

" _DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW STUPID IT WAS WHAT YOU DID?!_ " Molly flinched at both Sherlock's yelling and the needle in her arm.

"Sherlock, don't do this, she doesn't need this."

"Oh, yes because she's got enough on her plate." He mocked "First you lock yourself in a room filled with contaminated cadavers and refuse help from _me_ or _anyone_ because you wanted to keep us _safe_ until everything was secured. Second you try to bloody cut a bone and _accidentally_ get human tissue to spatter all over not only _you_ but John as well! And the worst part was that it went in your _mouth_ , are you _daft._ "

Molly was always amazed at the consulting detective's lung capacity. He would do great as a diver.

"If I didn't know any better I wouldn't have thought of you as a proper pathologist, _woman_ , more like an intern you've been working for _years_ and _no_ you don't cut off a finger accidentally you _splatter_ contaminated human blood in your mouth how _stupi-_ "

"IT _WASN'T_ HER FAULT YOU MASSIVE GIT! _YOU_ WERE THE ONE THAT BARGED INTO THE MORGUE DRAGGING YOUR EGO-BIG ENOUGH THAT PLANETS CAN _ORBIT_ IT-AND SHE WAS _STARTLED_." Roared John Watson.

Wide eyed, Molly stared at John "John…" she touched his arm to calm him down; he was panting, eyes livid. He stared at his best friend.

The tension in the room was thick as peanut butter when Mary Watson opened the door "John? I heard you yelling." Molly was thankful she didn't need to be the one calming down the man that was livid as lava.

John turned to Molly, he nodded his head and made an excuse, he was followed out of the room by a hesitant Mary. She looked to Molly with a small smile before she closed the door.

The attendant that had taken her blood followed soon after, leaving the room filled with tension to the first responders.

"I understand, now, why you did what you did, Molly." She could feel him swallowing his pride "No matter how illogical" there it is "I must admit I admire your bravery."

"I didn't mean to put your doctor in danger, Sherlock." Molly's joke faded.

Sherlock looked at her confused "No, Molly I don't think you meant to infect yourself with a-presently-incurable disease."

"Oh! Oh, no I meant _John._ "

Sherlock's eyes widened the slightest bit and, sheepishly, he twisted his body here, and there making unspoken excuses to look around the room, he stepped away from Molly as she lay down on the hospital bed and he picked up the clipboard hanging at the foot of her bed.

"Oh."

"Sherlock."

He left the clipboard and walked towards the window, where he observed the clueless people going about their lives "Molly."

She'd never get tired to the sound of his voice saying her name.

"As much as I am… glad that you're here with me right now, don't you have a case to solve?"

At that Sherlock immediately jumped and turned "Right!" he made his way towards his exit, at the door he stopped and turned.

"I'm sorry, Molly Hooper."

"It's okay, Sherlock. You're stressed, I understand."

"I'll call John and Mary in."

"Yes, thank you."

They stared a moment longer before he finally closed the door, the last thing they saw of one another, their eyes.

"When I said go and find a cure I didn't mean this, honestly Sherlock sometimes you can take over reacting to a whole new level." Molly laughed at John's words.

After Sherlock left he had come back, sweaty, looking like death, and the 'cure' in his bloodstream. A bruised and panting Lestrade had explained the fact that they had had to engage in a high speed chase with the genius-of-a-serial-killer and just when they thought they'd reprimanded him by crashing into his car, the feisty _woman_ they'd found out, after she'd taken her gasoline soaked clothes off and wrestled both Sherlock and Lestrade, throughout the whole ordeal Sherlock had asked non-stop about the cure as she had been infecting the people directly.

"Turns out it was in one of the vials she left in the car, didn't realise she had one in a syringe hidden, stabbed Sherlock with the _antidote_ and turning him into this nightmare, the doctor's said that he'll be fine in a few days, but the explosion of the car means the only way for us to cure Molly is through Sherlock's blood." Lestrade struggled to breathe with his bruises being bandaged when he almost laughed throughout his storytelling.

"It wasn't as amusing for me." Sherlock stated as he welcomed it when a nurse lead him to the bed right next to Molly's.

There was a silence in the room that didn't carry as much tension as it had before, now it was just Lestrade with a grin on his face talking up the nurse that was bandaging his side, then there were Mary and John talking quietly to themselves, smiles on their faces everything was good and done with, everything was perfect, quiet and Sherlock was staring at Molly.

She raised her brows at him.

He smiled at her.

And the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was her.

"You can see me."

Sherlock rolled his eyes.

For the last two days he'd tried hard to ignore and avoid Molly Hooper whilst bedridden right next to her, he would have _tried_ to get another _separate_ room but he felt that the only reason he couldn't at the time was that John was still bitter with him about yelling at Molly and then there was _Mary_ the day he'd come back with the antidote in his veins and that look in her eye.

" _Mary._ " Sherlock sneered.

"So tell me what you see."

Breathing in heavily Sherlock dropped the book he was pretending to read and looked at Molly.

"Sorry, what?"

"You heard what I said."

He wouldn't have ever thought he would lose a staring contest with her but alas Molly Hooper is one intimidating woman.

He looked down and tilted his head, pride was being swallowed.

"I look at you and I see the one that matters th-" Sherlock looked up offended at the noise that just came from Molly, she had thrown her hands up in the air in an exaggeratedly exasperated way.

"Sherlock look at me and tell me you can't see how _done_ I am with your actions."

Feigning ignorance was certainly _not_ gonna help but would he stop himself from doing it anyway?

"What do you mean?"

No.

"Just tell me how you feel about me and then we can get this over with."

"I don't kno-"

"Sherlock." He was brought back to the time he'd said her name exactly the way she just had. With a warning, and with that he smiled, looked away and sighed.

"I love you Molly Hooper."

"Now was that ha-"

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." He still wasn't looking at her, he was fiddling with the book "I'm sorry for being rude, or-"

" _And_ "

" _And_ mean."

"…"

"You're right that _was_ hard-"

"Sherlock!"

This fic had completely gotten out of control! I just hope it wasn't too bad or confusing!


End file.
